Front row, third seat from the right. It takes Sunyoung four weeks to notice his presence: tall, pale, lanky Oh Sehun, seated two seats from the back. His expression is stoic, always quiet unless called upon to contribute to the discussion.

It’s during the fall semester of second year that Sunyoung pays more attention to him than the actual class curriculum. She thinks she’s going insane, her mind playing tricks on her whenever she catches him staring at her.

It’s Thursday afternoon just as the sun turns the sky hues of gold and orange. It makes the steel structures of the next building over glitter in an almost-fantasy way. Sunyoung blinks, the floor to ceiling windows suddenly clear. Sehun’s staring at a few crows nesting on the rooftop.



Two months into the fall term and the rustling to her left startles Sunyoung out her daydream. There’s still ten minutes before class starts and the professor is nowhere to be seen. Sunyoung chances a glance before briefly making out an eerily familiar side profile.

Oh Sehun.

He has his earbuds in at the moment, music trickling out into the nearly empty classroom. Sunyoung keeps her eyes forward, gaze focused on a smudge that the previous professor missed while erasing the white board.



Twice a week, Sunyoung sees Sehun for eighty minutes each time, Tuesdays and Thursdays. They don’t speak at all, even if they’re the only ones who usually show up fifteen minutes early just because. 

Once, Sunyoung accidentally drops her calculator while rummaging through her backpack for her pencil case. When she finally tosses the said object onto her desk she’s nearly scared out of her socks when Sehun not unkindly places the calculator on her desk.

She doesn’t know why but she blushes, murmuring a thank you. 

It’s not exactly a fantastical story by any means but Sunyoung doesn’t understand why she can’t forget his thin pale fingers, a striking contrast to the grey plastic.



She wonders what it would be like to hold his hand.


The following week has their professor announcing that they will be having a group essay and they must pick their members by the end of class. Twenty minutes before class ends, Sunyoung turns around to face Amber who sits behind her and smiles.

There’s a cough to the side. Sehun offers a smile and asks quietly, “Mind if I join your group?”

Sunyoung can’t get his fluttering eyelashes out of her mind, or the way the sunlight bounces off his blonde hair in such a way that it’s almost blinding.


It’s brief, everything is really when it comes to Sehun, and it surprises Sunyoung when he offers her a cookie from his pilfered plastic container. It’s chocolate chip. She blinks in surprise, gingerly pausing over her touch screen. He smiles knowingly, waving the cookie slightly in an obvious sign of temptation. Sunyoung chuckles, murmuring a ‘thank you’ before taking the baked good from him. Their fingers brush slightly and Sunyoung’s left wondering if his fingers were always that warm.

That night, Sunyoung dreams in a whirlwind of colors, Sehun’s brief touch plaguing them as a familiar warmth surrounds the rainbows.

She wonders what it would be like to be held in his arms.


It’s a normal occurrence that Sunyoung skips class from time to time, but it’s extremely out-of-the-ordinary when Sunyoung glances to her left and Sehun isn’t there fifteen minutes before class starts.

Fifteen minutes turn into ten, which turn into five. When the professor walks in two minutes after the clock has struck one in the afternoon, Sunyoung lets out a sigh, a sense of disappointment sinking into her bones.

Half an hour into the lecture and Sunyoung finds herself staring at the door, a sense of longing in her chest. It’s strange, very strange indeed.



Sehun shows up the following Tuesday, always fifteen minutes early with his black backpack slung over one shoulder. He nods at Sunyoung in greeting, a brief smile gracing his lips.

Sunyoung thinks of clouds and sunshine as she doodles in her notebook, mind too convoluted with thoughts to pay attention to the professor’s rambling about the price ceiling and how the country’s debt is skyrocketing. 




Three months into the semester, their professor drops the bomb. They have to do another final group project. The kicker? They have two weeks to do research on a topic related to the economy to be able to do a fifteen minute presentation and write a six page paper. Sunyoung can feel the migraine that’s slowly forming behind her temples. This is not going to be fun.

The class itself has already been divided into “cliques” so it’s only natural that Sehun is in Sunyoung’s group for this. They’re researching GMOs, genetically modified organisms, and how this particular subset of the economy has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry within the last twenty or so years. It’s mind-boggling, but Sunyoung spends most of her time playing solitaire on her tablet instead of looking through the sixty-paged report she found on Monsanto.

It helps that Sehun knows what the he’s doing, fingers flying across his laptop’s keyboard at the speed of light as he rattles off factoids and numbers. Amber’s looking at him intently, hand scribbling across lined paper in an attempt to jot down everything he says. 

Sunyoung doesn’t realize she’s dozed off completely until she hears faint snickering around her. Head full of cotton and eyes still mostly closed, she straightens up, blinking blearily before squinting in Amber’s general direction. The other girl lets out an unattractive snort before breaking into peels of laughter; the people within their direct vicinity shoot them dirty looks before going back to their own conversations. 

What makes things even worse is that Sehun is laughing too, for god knows what reason. His eyes crinkle adorably, hand muffling the sound but his shaking shoulders are a telltale sign. It takes a moment for Sunyoung to run fingers through her hair, hand coming away with bits of straw wrapper and binder paper until bits of paper confetti fall on top of her lap. She stares at the scraps for a moment, stunned, before letting out her own snort of laughter. The nearby table shoot them more dirty looks before picking up their plates and relocating farther into the cafe.

The three of them spend the new few days cramming in research, crunching numbers, and distracting each other as their powerpoint finally takes shape. They end up dividing everything up into sections: the introduction, facts about GMOs, facts about the companies themselves, and then a more in-depth explanation on the impact they have on the global economy. It’s a pretty broad topic to cover, especially in the fifteen minutes that they have, but Sehun is insistent on taking the brunt of the presentation and explaining all the numbers and what they mean.

With four days left until their day to present, Sunyoung meets up with Sehun and Amber by the clock tower in the campus courtyard, near the brick wall that borders the staff parking lot. The bright sunshine is a nice change from last week’s gloomy grey skies but she forgot how much sunlight burns her skin. They set up camp under one of the bigger trees, its branches reaching out and up towards the sky while its thick canopy of leaves provides ideal shade for tired college students. 

They break out the notecards, compromising on what facts to mention and which to elaborate on more before settling on something that resembles a final product. Amber starts off the mock presentation, exaggerated gestures and all. Sunyoung breezes through her portion, the facts slipping off her tongue with practice ease. She thanks her speech professor from the previous semester for his tips; she’ll go places with this, she reckons. Sunyoung mentally pats herself on the back for a job well done when Sehun speaks, the numbers a jumble of confusion that Sunyoung chooses to ignore in favor of watching the shadows move across his face.

There’s a quiet snicker to her right and Sunyoung scowls, turning to glare at Amber. The older girl is beet red, her attempts at muffling her laughter a futile effort. It’s a good thing that Sehun is completely absorbed in his mock presentation since he completely ignores the two of them.

Amber stops chuckling enough to whisper, “Stop staring at his mouth, you freak.”

Sunyoung bares her teeth. “I’m not staring at his mouth.” It comes out as a hiss but Amber isn’t affected in the slightest.

“Whatever you say, creep.” Amber shrugs nonchalantly, but the ridiculous smirk on her face says otherwise.

There’s a cough from a few feet away. “Um, you guys?” Sehun’s hesitance is palpable. “Are you even paying attention?”

Amber laughs it off. “Of course we are, Sehun, please do continue your riveting discussion of Monsanto’s profits for the last business quarter.” The poor guy doesn’t seem to pick up on Amber’s mocking tone but lights up nonetheless, face lighting up as he picks up right where he left off.

Sunyoung scoffs, the sound petulant, as Amber gives her a side glance, winking when the younger girl catches her.



Thursday afternoon rolls around and the weather steadily cools as autumn comes on full force. Sunyoung shivers slightly, notecards clutched tightly in between numb fingers as a particularly strong breeze rushes by, the coldness stinging her cheeks. 

They’re supposed to be the first ones to present for the day and Sunyoung isn’t disappointed when she finds Sehun already setting up his USB to the computer up front, nimble fingers navigating the plastic mouse to open up the file easily. She lets out a sigh of relief when Amber barrels into the room a minute later complaining about how cold it is and how she could not find her scarf this morning. Sunyoung laughs good naturedly, setting her backpack down on her desk before taking a seat and going over her notecards once more. At this rate, the words are going to be burned onto her eyeballs.

The next few minutes pass by in a blur as the rest of their classmates stumble into the warmth of the classroom, mutters of how presentations float around. The nervousness is obvious in the class and Sunyoung doesn’t realize her hands are shaking until bigger, warmer hands grasp onto her frozen fingers. She can't help the nervous hiccup that escapes and the soft laughter somehow puts her at ease. Sunyoung knows it’s Sehun but doesn’t dare look up, his long and slender fingers clasping her own are enough to make her nearly forget about the presentation.



The presentation goes as smoothly as can be, with a few mistakes here and there. The timer goes off, signalling the end of their fifteen minutes, before the professor asks them a few questions about some key facts. When Amber flubs with an answer, Sehun is quick to jump in and cover for her with Sunyoung interjecting tidbits when necessary. 

Sunyoung’s sitting at her desk again, a brilliant smile adorning her pretty face. The adrenaline is slowly seeping out of her, the feeling of a job well done warming her chest. Her hands are still slightly shaking but she’s positive that isn’t because of nerves.



The final exam creeps upon them; Sunyoung finds herself staying up ‘till three in the morning, studying two days before it, purplish eyebags a permanent fixture on her face. She shows up to the exam day slightly bedraggled, cocooned in sweatpants and a baggy sweater as she clutches her study guide.

She has ten minutes to memorize everything that’s been taught in the last month. No problem. Sunyoung can totally do this. Hopefully.

Sunyoung nearly jumps out of her own skin when Sehun appears right in front of her desk, leaning precariously close into her personal bubble. He chuckles when she drops her notes onto the floor and her eyes go wide. Sunyoung lets out a broken sob before she starts punching him in the chest, her small fists hardly jostling him. “Why would you do that to me?!”

Deft fingers wrap around her thin wrists to stop her attack, Sehun’s breath warm as he whispers into her ear, “Alright, alright. Calm down Sunyoung, it’s not going to be that bad.”

Her breath hitches, eyes immediately downcasting as her arms go limp in his grasp. “I suppose you’re right.” A pause. “But then again, you’re always right.” 

Sehun lets out a hearty laugh, “I’m not always right. Only with academics, but with other things…” His voice trails off, warm hands letting go of her arms. It makes her skin tingle.

“Anyways,” Sehun continues, standing up straight and ruffling his hair a bit as he adjusts his scarf, “I have faith that you’ll do well on this exam, like all the other exams.” He smiles and winks. Sunyoung swears her heart drops from her chest and lands on the pavement three floors down. Her poor heart, smattered across the concrete.



Sehun is one of the first people to finish, leaving with an encouraging wave before closing the door behind him. He was right. The exam wasn’t so bad. Sunyoung’s quite pleased with how things have turned out.



Winter break is a breath of fresh air with five weeks of doing absolutely nothing. Sunyoung texts Sehun sometimes, but then family things started cropping up and their conversations dwindle from a few a day to maybe once a week. Some days, Sunyoung comes home late from babysitting to see Sehun spamming their chat log with ridiculous emoticons and kakao stickers. It’s ridiculous, but it’s still a nice gesture.

Sehun mostly complains about the dance classes he teaches and how most of his kids prefer Jongin, his best friend he’d mention in passing. Apparently, they give him a hard time whenever Jongin’s never there. Sunyoung laughs, sending a plethora of consoling stickers in reply.

Things get even busier during the latter half of winter break that most days Sunyoung doesn’t even bother checking her phone before collapsing onto her bed in exhaustion. It doesn’t help that she has to wake up at seven in the morning for her registration appointment at eight before promptly passing out when she’s officially enrolled in her courses.

On some days, Sunyoung completely forgets her phone at home where it’s still plugged into the charger when she runs out on errands. Sehun’s messages start adding up, going from five unread messages to thirty, to fifty. Sunyoung feels bad the first time it happens, but then choir starts demanding more and more of her time along with her younger family members wanting to see her since she isn’t as busy. It gets to the point where Sehun doesn’t cross her mind once during the last two weeks of winter break. 

Sunyoung doesn’t notice that the messages have stopped, either.


The spring semester starts off cold and anticlimactic as Sunyoung frantically runs across campus trying to find her classes, her smart phone not nearly big enough for the map. It’s a miracle that she makes it to all the lectures on time. 

Sunyoung runs into Amber on the way to her sociology class, goofy smiles plastered on their faces as they briefly catch up. Amber spent her vacation back in the States with family while Sunyoung recounts her busy days running back and forth between choir and her aunt’s house. With a wave, they bid their goodbyes with the promise to text more often.

What Sunyoung wasn’t expecting was to see Sehun once again sitting in the back of one of the classrooms, his silhouette familiar from his desk right up against the glass windows. But in the scheme of things, Sunyoung wasn’t expecting anyone she knew to take Kitchen Chemistry. 

(Soojung snorts when she takes a peek at Sunyoung’s schedule. “Kitchen Chemistry? What in the world is that?” 

Sunyoung shoots her a glare before replying, “It focuses on cooking at home in your own kitchen and how cooking is basically one big chemistry experiment.” Soojung fixes her with a stare, eyes blinking extra slow to emphasize her mood. “I…found it interesting?” Her retort sounds weak even to her own ears.)

Sehun turns to face her, his expression stoic until he meets her eyes. It’s strange how this has happened, and who in their right mind even takes Kitchen Chemistry? Sunyoung gives him a nervous smile, all the times of ignoring his messages skirting her mind as she takes the seat next to him.

“So,” she begins, setting her bag on top of her desk. Sehun nods in acknowledgement, arms remaining crossed. “So, how have you been?” Sehun sounds genuinely curious and the guilt continues to burrow deeper into her gut. 

Sunyoung stutters, “I’m sorry for ignoring your messages? Life just got…really busy…” Sehun blinks owlishly before his mouth quirks up into a smile. He doesn’t press for more details, the silence stretching until their professor walks in, suitcase banging against the door frame.

They don’t bring it up again.



The two of them lapse into an awkward but familiar routine. Sehun meets Sunyoung right outside her sociology class before walking to Kitchen Chemistry. Some days, their conversations are jumping all over the place, but on others the silence is tense, like there’s something much bigger brewing and Sunyoung can’t put her finger on it. 

It’s incredibly windy today is the first thing Sunyoung notices. Sehun looks really handsome in his wool trench coat is the second thing. The first week of February and there’s still snow covering the entire campus in a blanket of white. It’s beautiful but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s cold and it’s ridiculous that they still have to attend lectures.

Sehun still picks her up from outside her morning class, his hands stuffed into the trench coat’s deep pockets to keep them warm. He fidgets and smiles but doesn’t say anything during the entire ten minutes it takes to walk across campus. Sunyoung’s nervous but she’s not sure why she should be. Sehun’s anxiety must be rubbing off onto her.

He stops abruptly in the middle of the walkway before grabbing Sunyoung by the shoulders and turning her to face him. She lets out an audible gasp at suddenly being manhandled, hands instinctively flying out to cling to his coat sleeves. Wide eyed and confused Sunyoung looks up only to meet Sehun’s determined gaze.

“Sunyoung,” his tone is harsh but still warm, like hot chocolate.

Sunyoung hiccups. “Yes?”

“Will you go on a date with me? On Valentine’s Day?” 

She stands there frozen, mind processing the questions at the speed of a turtle. 

“I--uh.” Sunyoung wants to scream when Sehun’s face falls. “Yes?” Sehun gives her an incredulous look. “I mean, yes, I’d love too. Stop looking at me like that, it’s embarrassing!” Sunyoung nearly shrieks before pulling his hands off her shoulders and speed walking away.

She’s completely red in the face when Sehun catches up to her, a chuckle on the tip of his tongue. He doesn’t say anything when his hand reaches out to grab her’s, intertwining their fingers together. 

The warmth is pleasant and familiar, just like Sehun.